ON THE HUSTINGS.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16624, 21 October 1925, Page 5

ON THE HUSTINGS.

SHOTS IN THE CAMPAIGN. POLITICAL GLEANINGS. FROM CANDIDATES' SPEECHES. “When a man who knows nothing about farming comes and tells me what can be done with the land, then I can say only that he is miking through his neck,” said the Hon. A. D. McLeod (Minister of Lands), speaking at Alfredton. * * * * Another Liberal candidate who says that he will vote against the Reform Party on a motion of no-confidence, whether it is moved by Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party), or anyone else, has entered the field to contest the Auckland East seat. He is Mr H. Oakley Browne.

Many Governments throughout the world, and certainly all the New Zealand local bodies, would be interested in a statement made recently by Mr F. Colbeck, Country Party candidate for Rotorua. Asked how he proposed to get money for a State bank, he said that there would not be the slightest difficulty of getting it in the Dominion. In any case, there would be no trouble in obtaining cheap money from abroad. One offer of £3,000,000 at 3J per cent, had already been made. This must be the finest and most liberal offer on record.

“To hold the Reform Party, as at present constituted.' as being responsible for fhe sins of Conservative Governments back in the dark ages of our political history, can be equalled only by holding the present Prince of Wales responsible for the peccadilloes of Henry VIII.,” remarked Mr M. B. Lyons, Reform candidate for the Lyttelton electorate, at Charteris Bay.

A Labour candidate who talks about freedom and the British flag has made hiis appearance in Chalmers. He is Mr M. Connelly,, who at Milton the other evening, deriied that the Labour Party stood for the breaking-up of the Empire. The members of the party recognised that in this country, under the British flag, they had a . measure of freedom not to he found anywhere else.

Prior to the start of Miss E. Melville’s campaign meeting at Grey Lynn ■the orchestra played the National Anthem. With two exceptions, everybody stood. The two Individuals who remained seated must have felt just as uncomfortable as they looked.

Even the care-free (?) bachelor is not left alone during the election campaign. At a recent meeting the Nationalist candidate for Wairau, Mr R. McCallum, was asked if he favoured a tax on bachelors. “I do not,” replied Mr McCallum. “The poor beggars have enough to put up with, and anyway, to suggest that it is necessary to fax bachelors in order to compel them .to marry, is casting a reflection on the cahrms of the maidens of the Dominion.”

“Are you in favour of legalising bookmakers?” asked a questioner of Mr Ernest Piggot, Labour candidate for the Raglan electorate. * The candidate’s reply, which was applauded, was to the effect that while there was a State-owned system of gambling in the form of the totalisator, no further harm would be done by legalising bookmakers, who would then be under proper control. *** . * “I know it is necessary to have a little bit of red tape, but for Heaven’s sake don’t have too much of it,” remarked the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates), at the Wellington Town Hall, when dealing with the work of the Civil Service, the members of which he praised highly for their energy and devotion to duty. “Give your Civil Servants sufficient credit 'for being able to think for themselves. And look, ladies and gentlemen, when you are pleased with the work that someone has done, never mind who it is, it will pay you, pay the Government, pay everyone, and make life ever so much happier if you will just say ‘Thank you.’ ”

A candidate should at least make himself acquainted with the Cabinet Ministers and (their portfolios before he takes to the “hustings.” Apparently one Nationalist, Mr A. Lyon, who is contesting the Rangitilcei seat, has failed to do .so. At a recent meeting he said that the foundation stone of the new Post Office at Marton was to be laid only a few days before the poll by the Postmaster-General who, said Mr Lyon, happened to be the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates). As a matter of fact, the Postmaster-General happens'to be the Hon. Sir James Parr.